DCP

It's pretty gross, IMHO. Was forced to try it during the formative years of high school and never since - in bacon flavor.

Don't know if anyone else mentioned this, but I'm really fond of candied blood orange slices. The recipe here as part of a larger dish works beautifully.

Sad to say that this is an urban legend. Mythbusters debunked it last year, and the technique was also debated in the Limoncello thread. ← You're incorrect. The Mythbusters actually proved that running the vodka through a charcoal filter does significantly improve its smoothness. What may have "busted" the myth is that even after 7 filtrations it still was not as good as the top-shelf brand. Still there was an improvement. What was particularly remarkable was how the vodka tasting expert placed all seven or eight filtrations in exactly the correct order. For those who are interested, they also suggested (though this wasn't that clear) that you're supposed to use a new filter cartridge for each filtration. The cost of this would far outweigh the cost of better vodka. ← I stand corrected. Skimming has its downsides. Thanks for the comments, plk and BryanZ.

Sad to say that this is an urban legend. Mythbusters debunked it last year, and the technique was also debated in the Limoncello thread.

Shockingly enough, Ikea makes a ~$3 milk frother that works surprisingly well. It won't steam your milk, of course, but if all you want is a little foam, it will do the trick!

can you still get B&J wine coolers? ← Most definitely. I was on a vacation to Williamsburg, VA in August, 2006 and found about 5-6 varieties in the local K-mart during a search for sunscreen.

Oh my god, Zagnut! I found it on a regular basis on a nearby college campus ca. 2000, but have never seen it since. Butterfinger and 5th Avenue have nothing on that gem. I used to have two at a time sometimes.

They're a guilty pleasure for me, too. Embarrassing as it is to be a foodie and stoop to mass-market confections, they really hit the spot sometimes! Also enjoyable (in the same grocery area) is a box of mini ice cream bars - miniature versions of the Snickers ice cream bar, as well as Twix, 3 Musketeers, and another I don't recall. Can't remember who makes this - it's pricey for the quantity, but good.

Apparently (at least in my case) it's not an issue of availability so much as ignorance.

Thanks to aguynamedrobert and etalanian for the information!

To anyone looking for these spoons: you're not the only one. Walter Drake sold them last year, but they've since mysteriously disappeared. See Smart Stuff for a picture and a bit more info. Embarrassingly enough, I had these on my wish list until reading this thread - I suppose the dextral among us don't easily notice when a product isn't made for them! KatieLoeb, I'd be interested to know more about these (150,000?) deaths per annum due to wrong-handed tools.

I'm at TJ's weekly or so and managed to completely overlook the non-Dutched cocoa. Is there a name or label I might keep an eye out for?

That's exactly what I was going to suggest - that it's Dutch process cocoa (treated with alkali) like pretty much all other cocoa we find in the US. The 'natural' version is more reddish, acidic, and strongly-flavored, but I've had no luck finding it!

Count me in as an occasional evening cold cereal-eater. Preferably the same way as in the morning, with some ground flaxseed/blueberries, sliced banana, and vanilla soy milk. I thought it was a holdover behavior from college, but am glad I'm not the only one who still does it!

As others up-thread have said, I also enjoy using palm sugar in Thai cooking. It adds a depth of flavor that would otherwise be missing. It's fun to experiment, but some things just don't do well with unrefined sugars - I recall identifying with a post in another forum wherein it was discovered brown sugar and brownies don't mix. True that! I've been able to get Muscovado at Trader Joe's on a regular basis, and piloncillo at the local Filipino market. The semi-local Korean mega-mart also carries a variety of 'unusual' sugars.

Any chance of finding this stateside? I've never seen any such thing at the local Korean mega-mart (Han Ah Reum) and it would make things even easier. OTOH, I really like the taste of homemade dashi with kombu and katsuo...

As an amusing aside to this: a couple family members recently were on a 'business networking' trip to China, and came across said Starbucks with amazement. One took about two minutes trying to get across the concept of her drink, at which point the young woman taking the order said "decaf double tall latte?" Apparently, even though no other English is spoken, one can order the same drinks in English in any Starbucks.

I'm bringing durian muffins to work next week, if things go as planned. Who knows - maybe I'll find some converts! They certainly wouldn't eat it if they knew what it was...

This is probably heresy, but I like to use leftover syrup from home-candied fruits. It's probably more like 3:1 than 2:1 by the time it's done reducing, but the richly-infused flavor can't be beat. I have about 1/2 cup left over from candied blood oranges with cayenne and Grand Marnier that has lent fascinating flavors to orange libations.

I'm partial to the Laughing Cow wedges in the thin cylindrical container (Trader Joe's, Wegman's, and SuperFresh carry them around here) - in swiss, garlic/herb, and French onion flavors. Low-fat, creamy - hell, they keep an equally-respected place in my cheese drawer next to the Manchego, Gruyere, and friends.

Absolutely. It's just strained yogurt. Make your own yogurt, then strain repeatedly (through a cheesecloth, I'm told) until the desired thickness is reached. It will be time-consuming, but hopefully worth it!

Some may consider it heretical to serve risotto with anything, but I've frequently had it at restaurants with a slab of fish atop it. Seared yellowtail worked well for me when replicating at home.

I second the votes for both risotto and paella. I just used some old (but still good!) saffron threads to beautifully color and scent some risotto with sundried tomatoes, prosciutto, and mahon cheese last week. A little goes a long way. (From Trader Joe's in a tiny corked glass bottle.)

I'm a big fan of tea eggs. Haven't found a particular favorite recipe yet, mostly because I haven't been able to make them as strongly-spiced as ones I've eaten elsewhere. Basically, simmer hard-boiled eggs in water, soy sauce, ginger, star anise, dried red chili pods, and black tea - yum!

Indeed it is called Balut. Eaten in the Philippines and elsewhere in East Asia, it appears to be an acquired taste. Photos and more information (not for the squeamish) at Deep End Dining, Wikipedia, and Weird Meat. *shudder*